Hamilton dismisses Ferrari’s Madring advantage: “hardly any” benefit from filming day
Lewis Hamilton has rejected the idea that Ferrari gained a meaningful advantage from running its SF-26 at Madrid’s new Madring circuit ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Ferrari completed a filming day at the street circuit in July, using the 200km allowance available on Pirelli demonstration tyres. But Hamilton believes the conditions made the running of limited value from a performance perspective.
“I think it's hardly any. It was dusty, super super dusty, there was zero grip,” Hamilton said.
The Ferrari driver also stressed that the session was not a conventional test. The team could not use it to make meaningful car changes or conduct a full performance programme, while the track and its infrastructure still required further work.
“We can't change the car because it's not a test, it was filming. We weren't even flat out in many of the corners, we were just low power, low grip,” Hamilton explained. “The only one thing is I've seen which way the track goes. So, honestly, I don't think any, to be honest.”
That familiarity with the layout is therefore the clearest benefit Hamilton is prepared to acknowledge. It may help Ferrari’s drivers orient themselves when official running begins, but he does not regard the filming day as representative preparation for a grand prix weekend.
Leclerc expects a demanding qualifying challenge
Charles Leclerc’s experience of the circuit was similarly limited. The Monegasque completed some laps behind a road car and only two in a Formula 1 car, with cameras fitted and significant dust still covering the track.
Even so, Leclerc’s first impression was clear: Madring will be a challenging venue, particularly over a single qualifying lap. A recent Formula 3 event had already underlined the difficulty expected by the drivers.
“But it looked like a very challenging track and, I think, exactly the kind of track that I enjoy as a driver,” Leclerc said.
He also expects overtaking to be scarce on Sunday, increasing the importance of qualifying position and execution across the weekend.
“It's true to say as well that I think [come] Sunday the amount of overtaking opportunities will be very little. But I think in qualifying it will be a very cool and challenging track for all drivers, and for that I'm looking forward to it.”
For a broader overview of Madrid’s new venue, read our Madring guide ahead of the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s preparation was operational, not performance-focused
Race organisers described Ferrari’s July appearance as an opportunity to test the logistics and coordination required for a Formula 1 event. The Scuderia deployed personnel and equipment representative of a race-weekend operation, allowing organisers to validate key procedures across the circuit.
That distinction reinforces Hamilton’s assessment: Ferrari’s running offered visibility of the track and helped evaluate event operations, but little usable data for extracting outright performance from the car.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.